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Rás Tailteann Route 2020
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| Eugene Moriarty Race Organiser |
The much-anticipated return to the Irish Cycling calendar of the Rás Tailteann after a year’s absence in 2019 took another step forward with the announcement of the route of the 2020 Rás Tailteann
The 67th. edition of the race will travel clockwise around Ireland with stage finishes in Horse and Jockey, Castleisland, Lisdoonvarna, Kilbeggan, before starting the final stage in Kinnegad to the finishing circuit in seaside town of Blackrock, Co. Louth. The new 5-day event will cover 758km with 7 categorised climbs which will act as a platform for attacking riders to battle it out for the coveted Rás yellow jersey.
Cáirde Rás Tailteann, the new committee established to run the new look Rás Tailteann have also announced that Eugene Moriarty from the group will be the Race Director for the 2020 event. Eugene who hails from Kerry, is a well-known figure from past Rás Tailteann believes that the 2020 route will make for some interesting racing. With no major climbs in this year’s event, it will make for open racing in which Ireland’s finest amateur riders will compete against at least eight International teams.
Eugene went on to say “the route expertly designed by Ger Campbell, will allow the riders to race every day, with undulating roads and deliberately stays away from multiple big first category mountains of recent editions, this will open up the race for aggressive racing”
Team registration and entry is expected to open before the end of March via the website and this will be announced nearer the time.
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| Route Of THe 2020 Ras Tailteann |
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Seamus Kennedy Winner Of The Health Race Rás Tailteann1978
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| Seamus Kennedy |
When Seamus Kennedy won Irish cycling’s greatest prize, the Rás Tailteann, in 1978, he declared that he had achieved his life’s ambition, and that he was going to retire.
“I’m finished now. I will retire at the end of the season. I have won everything I can,” he is quoted as saying in July 1978. But that was never going to happen. Kennedy’s passion for cycling was such that he would never retire from the saddle. Fr Stan Deegan, PP, Kilcloon, celebrating his funeral Mass last week, said that Seamus Kennedy had never envisaged finishing early, withdrawing from the action. But he had lived a full and complete life, Fr Deegan continued. Kennedy passed away on Monday of last week, following illness. he was aged 65. More>>>
Cáirde Rás Tailteann 2020 Announce Race Details
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| Robert John McCarthy, Ireland National Team winning stage two Athlone to Tipperary 2018 Rás Tilteann |
While up to eight teams from abroad will likely ride Rás Tailteann next June the race will be refocused on domestic riders, new route planner Ger Campbell has said.
The Drogheda Wheelers stalwart is among a six-man group that has assumed control of the race which will run Wednesday to Sunday in June.
Campbell and five others are part of a newly-formed promotions group, Cáirde Rás Tailteann. It has taken over the running of Rás Tailteann from Cumann Rás Tailteann. More>>>
‘The Rás – The Story of Ireland’s Unique Bike Race’
The 2019 cycling season passed in Ireland without our beloved Rás Tailteann stage race for the first time since 1953. The recent press release announcing its return in 2020 came as a welcome relief to all concerned.
The preservation of the race itself is not the only thing at stake as an annual Rás is crucial in sustaining a vibrant racing calendar and the ongoing development of the sport is dependent on this.
However, there is still the somewhat contentious question about which type of Rás best serves that secondary purpose of promoting the overall best interests of Irish cycling: the so-called ‘old’ Rás, prior to the event’s inclusion in the UCI calendar in 2000, or that ‘new’ Rás we have seen from then to 2018. More>>>
Ras Tailteann Back For 2020
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| Colm Christle, Dublin First Rás Winner 1953 |
The Rás will find its rightful place back on the Cycling Ireland calendar in 2020, promoted and run next year by a newly-formed promotions group, Cáirde Rás Tailteann, and thanks in huge part to significant collaboration with its historical organising club, Cumann Rás Tailteann.
Cumann Rás Tailteann have this week shown huge support to the promotions group, which compromises a number of long-time volunteers on the Rás, to run the race next year.
Following a long and committed search for sponsorship for Rás Tailteann, 8 Day International Race in 2019, the race
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| Luuc Bugter Netherlands Rás Winner 2018 |
ultimately fell victim of insufficient financial support and dropped off the calendar. Today the historical organisers confirmed that they will not themselves run an event in 2020, but are delighted to see the race go ahead under new organisers, with Cumann Rás Tailteann’s full support.
The promotions group will continue to follow the historical identity of the Rás Tailteann in the ethos of County and International teams. The 2020 edition of the Rás is likely to be over fewer days, possibly five, but the new organisers endeavour to promote this unique Irish race back to its UCI status in the coming years over eight days. More>>>
2019 Rás Tailteann Cancelled Due To Lack Of Sponsorship
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| 2019 Rás Tailteann Cancelled Due To No Sponsorship |
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No World-Ranked Rás Tailteann To Be Held In 2019
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| Eimear Dignam Race Director |
Following a long and committed search for sponsorship for the Rás Tailteann, the organisers have today taken the difficult decision not to run an eight-day world-ranked race in 2019.
The event is a 2.2 event on the UCI international calendar, earning world-ranked points for those who excel on stages and in the overall classification. It has been part of that calendar since the 2000 edition and while this has added greatly to the prestige of the event, the extra requirements under UCI rules have greatly ramped up the budget.
The race finances were covered in recent years by An Post, but it stepped back from its backing of the race specifically and cycling in general in 2017. The Rás Tailteann took place as usual last year thanks to a reserve fund, but the depletion of that made it vital that new backing was secured for 2019
“We have exhausted all opportunities in relation to sponsorship for a UCI race this year,” states race director Eimear Dignam. “I am extremely disappointed. I have been involved in the race my whole life. But I am satisfied that I explored every opportunity to us to secure a sponsorship. We never envisaged that it would come to an end like this, but hopefully it won’t be an end.
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Rider Blog Team Gerard DHL
Normally nerves play a huge role leading into a cyclist’s first participation in the Rás, but for me, there was no time to be nervous. With a heavy college schedule building up to exams that finished just 2 days before stage 1, the Rás was just a date on my calendar.
2018 marked the first year of Team-Gerard DHL but also the first Rás for 80% of our Rás squad. To help us through 8 days of chaos was Paidi O’Brien. A man with huge experience and success in the sport, most of which I am still unaware of. More>>>
Up For The Race
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| Ray Kennedy |
Up For The Race
By Ray Kennedy Dublin Opinion 1987
He was small, fat and almost totally bald. He sat at the bar with new authority this week.
The Ras Tailteann was coming through and he had ridden it.
“ I see they’ve coming by tomorrow. God then they’ve horses o’men all the same
“Begod they are” says John in return “no bother to them lads to cycle a hundred miles in day”
“Ya Did it yourself I’m told,” The bar man coaxed John, gently as he could, without blowing the whole thing. More>>>
Luuc Bugter Delta Team Netherland Takes Final Overall Victory In The 2018 Rás Tailteann
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| Luuc Bugter Delta Team Netherlands Overall Winner |
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